


Pulse

by KO5



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, US Women's Soccer National Team
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-28 21:05:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5105732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KO5/pseuds/KO5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little bursts, or rather “pulses”, of Hope and Kelley’s much deserved happy ending with their three kids. A collection of spin-off one shots from my story, Heartbeat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

Hey everyone! If you are familiar with my other story, Heartbeat, these one-shots are more or less mini sequels to it. Most of these are just random O’Solo ideas that have popped into my head, so I thought it might be a fun challenge for myself to incorporate them into the Heartbeat universe. I’m thinking the majority of these will be fluff, mostly to counteract all my other angsty fics, but also because Hope and Kelley deserve all the fluff they can get :) This is my way for me to give back to all of you and your continuous support, so thank you! Enjoy the stories, and feel free to comment with suggestions anytime! 


	2. Chocolate Milk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie is convinced she’s built with chocolate milk.

Hope quickly lunged out of the box, attempting to block a shot on goal by one of her young players at the She Believes soccer camp. To her dismay, she was a tad late and the ball easily found nothing but net. 

Kelley snorted from afar. 

“Why do you do that to her?” Alex shook her head at her friend who was sitting next to her on a sideline bench. 

“What?” Kelley acted like she didn’t know what Alex was talking about. 

“You know what I’m talking about, Kell. Why do you keep sending those looks to Hope?” 

A mischievous grin formed on Kelley’s face. “Because it’s fun to mess with her.” 

“I don’t understand why Hope keeps you around.” Alex jokingly commented. 

“Hey! I keep her on her toes.” 

“You’re lucky she loves you…because if looks could kill, you’d definitely be dead by now.” Alex motioned towards the goalkeeper strutting towards them, with her darting eyes solely on Kelley. 

“Hey babe! Rough day?” Kelley cheekily greeted Hope. 

“You’re making me look bad out there!” Hope exclaimed. 

“I was just being supportive!” 

“There are other ways to show support than seductive winking.” 

Kelley cleared her throat, “I wouldn’t call it seductive, per se…maybe just…uh…suggestive?” 

“Same thing.” Hope huffed. 

“Gosh, if you were already coming undone in that goal over there, then I don’t know how you’re going to handle the next time we…” 

“KELLEY!” Hope shouted, quickly interrupting the younger defender and looking around to make sure no younger campers were listening. 

Alex rolled her eyes at her pair of friends, “You two are disgusting.” 

Kelley sent another playful wink towards Hope, who just exclaimed, “Why are you so exhausting?!” 

“Because that’s my job!” Kelley began to skip away as she grinned at Hope. “Oh, by the way, Charlie’s soccer kits should be in the laundry room. Make sure she wears the white one for today. I’ll leave from here in a bit and just meet you there, okay?” 

“Good thing I’m the one going home early to pick up the kids.” A hint of mischief was heard in Hope’s tone of voice. 

“What does that mean?” 

Hope mockingly skipped away from Kelley and smiled, “It gives me a chance to drink all the chocolate milk before you get home!” 

Stopping dead in her tracks, Kelley gasped, “You wouldn’t dare!” 

“Oh I would.” Hope smirked. 

“Take it back. You know how serious I am about my chocolate milk.” Kelley frowned. 

“Yeah, yeah…” Hope waved Kelley off and smirked once more before leaving the training premises. 

-

Once arriving home and thanking the neighbors for watching her three rambunctious kids, Hope quickly rounded up her little posse in preparation for Charlie’s first soccer match of the season. 

“Charlie! Mom says to wear the white kit!” 

“Okay!” A voice shouted from down the hall. 

Hope packed their family bag, which consisted of all sorts of necessities- mostly ones to entertain her two youngest children. She looked at her watch, slightly surprised at the time. 

“Charlie!” Hope repeated. “Get Harper and get in the car! We’re running late!” 

Hope threw in a few last minute things into the family bag before picking up Bailey and heading out the door. However, thinking back on the day, she quickly stopped in the kitchen and opened the fridge. She frowned when realizing that they seemed to be out; it would’ve been nice to mess with Kelley for once. 

Hope settled everyone into the car and before closing the trunk, she noticed a bottle of chocolate milk in the trunk. Oddly, it sounded good to her in the moment so she quickly took the bottle and downed it on the way to the game. 

Finally arriving at the game, Hope took a seat on the bleachers next to Kelley, and Alex and Tobin who had decided to come support Charlie at her first game of the season. After warmups were over, they watched the team get ready. Being typical overly supportive parents (as well as literal soccer moms), Hope and Kelley couldn’t help but overhear a particular conversation their daughter was having with one of her teammates. 

“Are you nervous?” 

Charlie shrugged, “Sort of…but not really.” The five year old turned to her teammate and mischievously grinned, “Well can you keep a secret?” 

“Yes.” 

“I’m built with chocolate milk.” Charlie whispered loudly. 

While Kelley had gotten distracted by Harper, Hope raised her eyebrow, now paying full attention to the little girls’ conversation. She leaned closer towards the field. 

“Chocolate milk?!” The other little girl’s eyes widened. “That’s a lie.”

“No it’s not! My mama told me so. That’s why I drink so much of it. It gives me special powers.” 

Hope chuckled to herself, but was suddenly caught off guard when her daughter turned around and locked eye contact with her. 

“Mommy?” 

“Uh, yeah, sweetie?” 

“Can I have my chocolate milk now? Mama said she’d bring some.” 

Hope nervously responded, “Uhm…sure, let me grab it…” She tugged on Kelley’s sleeve. 

“What?”

“We don’t have chocolate milk!”

“For what?” Kelley looked at Hope in confusion. 

“Well apparently you told a little someone that she’s built with chocolate milk and that you’d bring some to the game. You didn’t tell me to pack some!” 

Kelley’s eyes widened, “Oh my god! You drank all my milk, didn’t you?!” 

“No! Well I wanted to, but we didn’t even have any at home!” 

Kelley sighed, “Jeez, pull it together. Don’t worry. There’s an extra bottle in the trunk of the car.” 

Hope suddenly got silent, realizing what she had done. 

Kelley’s eyes widened for the second time, “You drank that bottle?!” 

“It sounded good in the moment!” 

“Oh my god. Charlie is going to have a fit.” Kelley began to panic. “You need to run to the store…like right now.” 

“How is this my fault?!” 

“You drank all the chocolate milk!” 

“You told our daughter she’s built with it! If you hadn’t done that, then maybe this wouldn’t be such an issue!” Hope responded. 

Kelley shook her head and basically shoved Hope off the bleachers. “Just hurry up and get some chocolate milk!” 

Amazingly, Hope made it to the nearest convenience store and back to the field with plenty of time to spare before the match started. She handed over the bottle to Charlie, who gladly accepted it- having no clue what she had just put her parents through. 

Basically out of breath, Hope finally sat back down next to Kelley and crossed her arms, clearly not pleased with the frantic situation right before the game. 

“Disaster averted, huh?” 

She muttered, “I can’t believe you told our daughter she’s built with chocolate milk.” 

Kelley refrained from responding, knowing that whatever she had to say would only irritate Hope even more. But of course, being her typical goofball of a self, she swooped in front of Hope’s face so that it was impossible to avoid her. 

“Hey, where’s my chocolate milk?” 

“The convenience store didn’t have a six pack…plus, why would I get you some now?” 

Hope continued to purse her lips and focus on the field in front. She refused to look at the shit-eating grin on Kelley’s face. 

“Because…I’m built with chocolate milk too.”


	3. Happy Halloween!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope isn't too pleased with Kelley's outfit choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all :) Enjoy!

Hope was laying on the couch reading her new book when she noticed Kelley stumble into the living room with a large package. Taking off her reading glasses and raising an eyebrow, she asked,

 

“Kelley…what’s in that package?”

 

“My Halloween costume…” Kelley tried tiptoeing away, failing terribly to be sneaky.

 

Hope questioned, “Kell, get back here. What do you mean _your_ Halloween costume?”

 

Kelley sighed and turned around, “You’re so nosy.”

 

“Why are you such a child?”

 

“Why are you such a party pooper?”

 

“Kell, Halloween is for children…don’t tell me you’re seriously dressing up this year. What happened to passing out candy like normal parents?”

 

“I wanted to be festive this time around! The kids are getting older and I figured we should get into the Halloween spirit while taking them around trick or treating!” Kelley reasoned.

 

Hope gave in, “Fine. Let me see it.”

 

“Uh…my costume?” Kelley replied sheepishly.

 

“Yes, your costume!”

 

Kelley shrugged as she walked closer to the couch in the middle of the room, “Well alright then, if you say so…”

 

Hope watched her wife carefully open the package and pull out a brown/grey fuzzy looking outfit. She couldn’t quite make out what the costume was until Kelley had it halfway on. Hope’s eyes widened as she flat out stated,

 

“No.”

 

Kelley zipped her costume all the way so that her face was the only thing showing, “Do you like it?”

 

“A _squirrel_?!” Hope exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“What else would I be?”

 

“Kelley! You are almost thirty years old- not three! I thought you were over your squirrel obsession!”

 

Kelley looked offended and placed her hand across her chest to emphasize her shock, “How could you say that?! I will _always_ be obsessed with squirrels.”

 

Hope shook her head and adamantly replied, “I’m not walking around the neighborhood with you dressed like a woodland creature.”

 

“With Charlie as a pig, Harper as a bunny, and Bailey as a cow, and now me as a squirrel…you’re just jealous that the kids and I are going to me so cute- and all matchy!”

 

“Kelley, first off, that mix of animals doesn’t even make sense…the kids are all farm animals. You’re a woodland creature.”

 

“So?”

 

Hope rolled her eyes, “Again, I’d like to point out that you’re an adult. A large squirrel isn’t exactly adorable…you’re going to scare half the neighborhood kids!” Hope partially lied- she did find Kelley somewhat charming in that fuzzy outfit.

 

“Oh come on, Hope. I special ordered it!”

 

Hope put her reading glasses back on and sighed in defeat, “I’m not going to win this, am I?”

 

Kelley’s grin only grew wider, “Nope.”

 

-

 

Halloween finally arrived and all their friends had come over for the evening. Kelley, in her ridiculous outfit, was running (well more like wobbling) around after the kids. The adults were trying to round up all the little humans for trick or treating.

 

Everyone had gathered by the door when Ali noticed a person meeting, “Hey, Kelley, where did Hope disappear to?”

 

Kelley smirked, “She’s probably hiding because she hates the fact that I’m wearing this outfit.”

 

Alex laughed at her friend, “I honestly wouldn’t expect anything less of you too.”

 

Ashlyn, who had just taken a drink of her water, almost choked as her eyes widened- her gaze towards the end of the hall.

 

Tobin scrunched her face in disgust, “Gross, Ash!”

 

Ashlyn just pointed to where she was staring, doing her best to hold in her laughter. Everyone’s eyes followed, and it was now Kelley’s turn to frown.

 

“Happy Halloween!” Hope smiled, way too excited.

 

“What are you wearing?”

 

“I’m a chicken.”

 

Alex smiled, “Oh gosh, I love you two.”

 

Kelley looked at Alex with horror all over her face, “What? No! This? We didn’t plan _this._ ”

 

“I think it’s cute.” Ali shrugged.

 

“I thought I’d never see the day Hope Solo dressed as a chicken, but I’m glad I have…I can officially die happy.” Ashlyn teased.

 

Hope rolled her eyes, but stared straight at Kelley, “So what do you think?”

 

“No.”

 

Hope smirked, “What? You don’t like it? I’m surprised.”

 

“H…Hope…you’re the best badass goalkeeper in the world! You’re going to ruin your reputation!”

 

“Oh please, do you think I care about that? I think someone’s a little worried about _her_ image.” Hope joked.

 

“I can’t be seen with you like that.”

 

“My sentiments exactly!” Hope exclaimed before continuing, “See how I feel now?”

 

Kelley groaned, “I can’t believe this is happening…where did you even find that?”

 

“I could ask you the same thing.”

 

Meanwhile, the children were getting fussy- way too anxious about getting out of the door for some trick or treating.

 

“Alright, we better get going or else it’s going to get late.” Ali suggested.

 

Kelley glared at Hope, “Take it off.”

 

“Only if you take off yours.”

 

“No.”

 

“Then the chicken stays.”

 

Tobin rolled her eyes as she shoved both of her friends out of the door, “Stop bickering and let’s enjoy Halloween.”

 

As Hope and Kelley continuously argued over their choice Halloween outfits, Ashlyn huffed while trailing behind. She muttered towards everyone else,

 

“We’re literally herding farm animals out the door, aren’t we?”


	4. Up, Up, and Away!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bailey’s first airplane ride, and Hope is absolutely no help.

Hope hated flying.

 

There was just something so discomforting about being thousands of feet above the ground. Plus, she didn’t particularly like the idea of putting all her faith into a large, floating metal can. Even after all her years of traveling for her career, her blood would still rush through her veins and pump a little bit faster when it came to flying. 

 

Kelley, on the other hand, loved flying.

 

Flying was in her blood. Her dad was a former Navy fighter pilot and her brother was training to be one as well. In fact, after winning the World Cup, Kelley was offered a VIP experience with the Blue Angels. Mostly proud that she didn’t throw up or pass out, Kelley would still rave about that experience and how it most definitely earned a spot on her list of top ten moments in life. Hope, too, had been offered a similar experience, but due to her massive fear of flying, she politely declined, forcing Pinoe to experience the Blue Angels alone.

 

However, Kelley was just a tad bit anxious about their upcoming flight. They had decided to spend Christmas with her family this year, meaning they had to endure the four hour flight from Seattle to Georgia. While flights home were usually a piece of cake for her, there seemed to be just one little issue.

 

This would be Bailey’s first flight.

 

Well, this would also be the entire family’s first time on an airplane together and Kelley knew that those four hours in the sky could had the potential to be quite the disaster.

 

“Charlie! Harper! Make sure you have all your things together. We don’t want to leave anything behind!” Hope yelled after her two daughters who had skipped off. She then turned to Kelley,

 

“Do we have everything? Bailey’s medications? Snacks? Water?”

 

Kelley calmly replied, “We have everything, Hope. Stop worrying so much.”

 

They had just gotten past security and were now making their way towards their gate. Hope continued to fiddle with Bailey’s stroller and gathered the rest of their belongings. Kelley had a pretty tight grip on Bailey, who so far was taking the whole airport thing rather well and wanted to chase after his older sisters.

 

Once arriving at their gate, Kelley looked at the time. She pointed out, “Well, we’re two hours early…as usual.”

 

Hope just nodded, “Better early than late.”

 

Kelley just shook her head at her wife, knowing how uptight she already had become since getting to the airport. The family ended up staying at the gate while they waited out the few hours before boarding. Luckily, they had a full view of the runway, which occupied all three kids. Both Charlie and Harper were loved flying, just like Kelley, and had their faces plastered against the window. They would squeal and giggle every time a plane would take off or land, also causing Bailey to follow suit. He, too, grinned and shouted with glee every time an airplane was in sight. Kelley was glad Charlie and Harper were having a positive impact on Bailey. It was way better than him being scared.

 

“You know, I think Bailey’s going to do just fine this flight.”

 

“I don’t know, Kell…he is- biologically speaking- _my_ son.”

 

“Well that also means I have a pretty good chance at calming him down then, right?” Kelley placed a hand on Hope’s shaking knee, doing her best to comfort her anxious wife.

 

“I guess so.” Hope weakly smiled, instantly calming down at Kelley’s touch. After all their flights together while on the team, Hope found Kelley as a major source of comfort. Although her nerves still got the best of her, Kelley did a pretty decent job at putting them at ease. But with three kids in the picture now, Hope (selfishly) knew Kelley’s main focus wouldn’t be her.  

 

About ten minutes before boarding, Hope left to find the nearest Starbucks. Before getting on any plane, it was important that she get up and walk off as many anxieties as possible, order a venti cup of hot chocolate (yes, this was childish but she’d do anything to calm her nerves), and triple check all their belongings. This was her routine. This was how she stayed sane.

 

But unfortunately, things weren’t going quite their way anymore. The luck they had experience ever since getting to the airport was starting to take a turn for the worse.

 

First, the nearest Starbucks had run out of hot chocolate. Hope nearly threw her wallet at the barista, absolutely floored at the fact that a coffee shop (in Seattle as a matter of fact) would run out of something as simple as hot chocolate. Hope realized she wouldn’t make it back to their gate in time if she had gone to the Starbucks in the next terminal over, so she returned empty handed.

 

Second, in the hustle and bustle of herding their three kids and belongings into line, Hope noticed she only had four tickets in hand. Charlie’s ticket was missing. Hope rapidly went through her purse, Kelley’s backpack, the family bag, and even the kid’s little backpacks. She swore she had made Charlie give her the ticket once passing security, so she was completely out of her mind when she realized it was still nowhere to be found. Hope frantically traced her steps back to the Starbucks, thinking she might’ve dropped it. She checked the airport benches they had been sitting on, before reaching one last time into her pocket- finding a small slip of paper at the very bottom. Kelley rolled her eyes, letting out a small smirk. But Hope didn’t find this funny. Her palms were sweating and her routine had been ruined.

 

Kelley nudged her playfully, “Will you just chill? You’re so uptight to the point that you seem neurotic. We’re going to be okay.”

 

“I hate flying.” Hope muttered in disgust.

 

“Oh cheer up, will you? I don’t want Bailey getting any ideas from you. Come on…it’s his first time on a plane. This should be really exciting.” 

 

They all made it safely onto the plane, but Hope frowned as soon as they reached their row of seats.

 

Kelley sighed, “What now?”

 

“There’s only three seats on each side of the plane. I thought we were flying on a bigger plane…you know, the one with four in the middle, three on the sides.”

 

“Nope, this is it.” Kelley began ushering her kids into one row. “Your seat is just across the aisle.”

 

“My seat?”

 

Kelley was confused, “Well, yeah…I mean unless you want to hold Bailey and stay with the kids in this row. But by the expression on your face right now, I have a feeling you’re not going to handle the next four hours with the kids very well.”

 

“Wait, so I’m alone?” Hope mumbled, not fond of the fact that Kelley wouldn’t be aside her.

 

“Oh grow up, Hope! You’re literally a foot away from me.” Kelley rolled her eyes for the second time that day.

 

Hope reluctantly took her seat. With her palms sweating and knees shaking, she closed her eyes in attempts to comfort her own self. Kelley, on the other hand was trying to get Bailey as comfortable as possible. He was fascinated by his sister’s exclamations as they pointed out of the small window frame, and Kelley came to the conclusion that his first experience flying might actually turn out a lot better than expected.

 

Still on the runaway, Bailey was bouncing on her lap as the flight attendants prepared the cabin for takeoff. He let out a loud shriek of happiness.

 

Kelley couldn’t help, but laugh. “Hope, look! He loves this!”

 

Hope still had her eyes closed, not wanting to break the peaceful mantra she had settled into. She continued to ignore Kelley.

 

Kelley smirked, “Jeez, babe, I should’ve been more worried about you…Bailey’s already much better off than I think you’ll ever be when it comes to flying.”

 

Unfortunately, Kelley spoke too soon.

 

Bailey’s expression suddenly faded as the plane increased its speed on the runway. As it tilted for takeoff, noises only got louder, thus scaring the little boy. Bailey began to cry.

 

“Oh, buddy…it’s okay. Look! We’re flying!” Kelley held him tight.

 

Charlie and Harper did their best to help comfort their little brother as well, exclaiming, “Look! Bailey! Up, up and away!”

 

Kelley pointed out the window, trying to distract the squirmy little boy in her lap. She repeated in a sing-song voice, “Up, up, and away! Remember when we played with your toy plane? Up, up and awayyy!”

 

Charlie and Harper yelled in excitement as they got higher and higher into the clouds. While she loved seeing her girls happy, they were just a tad too excited.

 

Kelley, who was still holding a crying Bailey, “Shhh…girls, indoor voices please.”

 

Kelley surprised herself- never was she the responsible parent in these types of situations. She, too, was usually excited about flying, almost to the point that people gave her funny looks. But with a toddler throwing a tantrum in her lap and two other tiny humans bouncing out of their seats, she was forced to maintain some sort of control- especially since her counterpart was nonresponsive.

 

Bailey had finally start to calm down, but that didn’t last long.

 

“Uh oh.” Charlie commented out of the blue.

 

Kelley quickly turned to her side, “Uh oh what?”

 

Harper looked up at her, “Me spill.”

 

Kelley quickly realized that the contents of Harper’s juice box was now over her lap. Twenty minutes in and Kelley knew there was no way she was letting her child sit in a sticky mess. She gently prodded Hope, who she wasn’t sure was just closing her eyes still or actually sleeping.

 

“Hope?”

 

“Mmm…” Hope groaned.

 

“Can you take Bailey? Harper spilled juice and I need to change her pants.”

 

“No.”

 

Kelley frowned, “Come again?”

 

“Kell, I can’t.”

 

“What do you mean you can’t?”

 

“If I move, there’s a very high possibility that I jump out of the exit door. I hate flying.” Hope murmured, eyes still closed.

 

Kelley exclaimed, “Seriously?! You are literally the least helpful human in my life right now.”

 

With a crying Bailey in hand, Kelley somehow worked her magic to change her daughter at the same time. Luckily, things actually simmered down when all three kids fell asleep. Kelley prayed that they would remain asleep until the end of the flight, and they actually got quite close. But as the plane descended, it encountered a good amount of turbulence.

 

And all hell broke loose.

 

Charlie and Harper actually found the turbulence quite entertaining, which made it harder for Kelley to restrain them. Bailey of course was frightened, and thus began his shrieking again. Kelley apologized countless of times to her fellow plane neighbors. Then, it came to the point where the kids’ ears were plugged. Charlie was annoyed, getting cranky, and Harper also started to cry claiming that she couldn’t hear anything.

 

Kelley’s eyes darted to her wife, “ _Hope._ ”

 

“Not now, Kell.”

 

“Can you help me with the kids?” Desperation was heard in Kelley’s voice.

 

“Sorry, I can’t. I’m literally having a meltdown myself.”

 

“Sure doesn’t look like it.” Kelley snorted.

 

“I’ve gone into internal panic mode. Just let me be.” Hope gripped her arm rests so hard that her knuckles were turning right.

 

Kelley knew she was getting know where with her fellow goalkeeper, so she just sucked it up and hoped that the last half an hour of the flight would go smoothly. She was eventually able to comfort all three kids and by the time the plane touched down, everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Kelley, of course, was exhausted.

 

As the plane came to a resting stop and the seatbelt sign turned on, Hope opened her eyes for the first time in the last four hours. Noticing all three kids as happy campers, she smiled,

 

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

 

Kelley’s eyes widened into a glare, aimed directly at Hope. Aggressively wiping strands out of her face and shoving a giggly Bailey into Hope’s arms, she muttered,

 

“I hate flying.”

 


	5. Safety First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley attempts to assemble a new car seat for Bailey.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

 

“For the hundredth time, Hope, I got this. I mean, how hard can it be to set up a car seat?”

 

Hope crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, “It’s not as easy as it looks, you know…especially since you decided to buy the more complicated brand.”

 

“Safety first!”

 

“Whatever you say, Kell…just don’t come running to me when you end up with one too many screws.”

 

“You don’t have any faith in me, do you?” Kelley teasingly accused.

 

“None at all.”

 

“Fine, I’m going to prove you wrong! Challenge accepted. I’ll have this car seat up and running in no time. If you need me, I’ll be in the garage!” Kelley said halfway out the door.

 

Two hours had passed and Hope hadn’t heard one word from Kelley. Either she was working hard or hardly working. Just as she stood up to go check on her wife, as if on cue, she heard her name.

 

“Hope?!” Kelley shouted from outside.

“What?” Hope called from within their house.

 

“Come out here!”

 

“Alright, one sec…” Hope slowly made her way towards their garage. She apparently wasn’t fast enough for Kelley, who hollered her name once more.

 

“HOPEEEEE! Hurry up!”

 

“Jeez, I’m coming, I’m coming!” Hope yelled back, slipping on her shoes for outside.

 

To her very surprise, Hope found Kelley standing next to a pretty decent looking car seat, all set up and everything. Kelley had the largest grin plastered on her face.

 

Hope walked over and examined the car seat, “Wow, you actually did it…”

 

“I told you so!” Kelley replied in a sing song voice.

 

“No leftover screws or anything?”

 

“None!” Kelley admitted, “I did have this one issue with a couple of the belt clicks, but I just put them together like a puzzle piece.”

 

Hope looked at Kelley warily, “Is it safe?”

 

“It looks good to me!” Kelley said proudly. She then suggested, “Why don’t you grab Bailey and we can test it out?”

 

Hope shrugged, “Alright, I’ll be right back.”

 

Hope went back into the house, quickly picking up their son. “Come on, buddy. Mama has a special surprise for you!”

 

Walking back out to their garage, Hope stopped dead in her tracks once realizing the predicament Kelley had put herself into. She had buckled herself into the small car seat. Hope’s eyes narrowed, and boy was she judging hard.

 

“Sooooo…what do you think?!”

 

“I can’t even with you.” Hope shook her head.

 

“I mean, it’s a little snug and all, but I think it’ll be perfect for the little guy!” Kelley goofily grinned, knowing that her antics were more than bothering Hope.

 

“How did you even get yourself in there?”

 

“Magic.” Kelley’s eyes sparkled before she replied seriously, “It’s not that hard, actually. You just have to cross over these two straps and the third strap goes across the waist. Feels pretty sturdy, honestly.”

 

Hope rolled her eyes, “Alright, little Houdini, now let’s see if you can get yourself out. I want to see if it’s the right size for Bailey.”

 

“Okay, okay…”

 

Kelley began to unbuckle herself, successfully getting the crossover straps undone. But when her hands moved to remove the waist strap, she froze and looked up at Hope.

 

“What?” Hope didn’t like the look on the younger woman’s face.

 

“I…I think I’m stuck.”

 

“You’re joking, right?”

 

“Why would I joke about this?”

 

“Well why would you put yourself in that car seat in the first place?!” Hope retorted.

 

Kelley tugged harder at the strap, but it wouldn’t budge. “Hope, I really think I’m stuck.”

 

Hope felt a smirk creep onto her face. “You built the dang thing! You must be able to find a way out.”

 

“I think the clicker thingy is jammed.”

 

“The clicker thingy?” Hope sighed and put Bailey down, “Here, let me try.”

 

Hope tugged at the waist strap, and no matter how hard she pulled, the car seat belt would not budge. After working on it for a few minutes, Hope let go and backed away. She crossed her arms and stared at Kelley, who looked terribly helpless. Hope did her best to keep from laughing, but her blue eyes sparkled with pleasure in seeing Kelley squirm.

 

“Hope, this isn’t funny! Stop laughing at me!”

 

Hope laughed, “And to think you actually pulled this whole car seat building thing off…nope, even better, you managed to get _stuck_ in it.”

 

“I just wanted to try it out!”

 

“Says the mother of the three year old who it’s actually for.”

 

Kelley whined, “Hope, come on, get me out of here…”

 

“Sorry, I tried!” Hope picked Bailey back up and started backing away.

 

Kelley’s eyes widened, “Where are you going? No, you can’t leave me here…not like this!”

 

Hope snorted as she repeated _“I can’t even with you._ ”

 

-

 

Eventually, Hope walked back into the garage. Kelley gave her the biggest glare she could muster up. Hope took out her phone, quickly snapping a picture.

 

“Hope Amelia Solo! Did you just document this moment?!” Kelley half-yelled.

 

“I may or may not have informed our friends of this little mishap. Ashlyn doesn’t believe me, so I’m sending her evidence.” Hope aimed her phone back at Kelley and cheekily exclaimed, “Smile!”

 

Crossing her arms, Kelley held her head high, “You know, this is actually quite comfortable.”

 

“Oh really now?”

 

“Wait, where have you been these last twenty minutes?”

 

Hope mischievously smiled, “I had to make a few phone calls. Don’t worry, Kell, help is on its way.”

 

Kelley sighed in relief, “Oh thank god...wait, help? What kind of help?”

 

Before Hope could respond, sirens were heard, getting closer and closer to their neighborhood.

 

Kelley’s jaw dropped, “You called the _fire department_?!”

 

“Well what else was I supposed to do?!”

 

“I don’t know, Hope, you could’ve just picked up a pair of industrial scissors or I don’t know, a saw or something from THE BIG ASS TOOL SHED YOU HAVE LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT DOOR.” Kelley shouted.

 

Hope just smiled, “Oopsies…didn’t think about that…”

 

Kelley closed her eyes and laid her head against the back of her seat. She groaned, “This is so embarrassing.”

 

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, this is just as embarrassing for me as it is for you!” Hope exclaimed.

 

“You’re not the one who’s stuck in a car seat!”

 

“Again, not my fault!”

 

“Uhm, excuse me? Ma’am?” A firefighter intruded on their bickering conversation.

 

Hope turned to greet him, “Oh hi there.”

 

“You called about…” The firefighter looked at his notes and looked back up at Hope in confusion, “About some, uh, I quote ‘immature, arrogant, twenty something year old who thought it would be cute to strap herself in her son’s car seat’?”

 

Kelley sheepishly spoke up and waved, “That would be me.”

 

The firefighter stifled a laugh and cleared his throat, “I thought this was a joke.”

 

Hope shut her eyes in embarrassment, “So how long should this take?”

 

“Not long at all. I just need a few tools.” The firefighter went back to his truck and returned, eyeing Kelley, “So, how did you manage to…”

 

“Long story. No questions asked, please.”

 

Hope stood by Kelley’s side until she was finally freed from the contraption. Kelley bounced off the seat, dropped to the floor, and exclaimed, “I’m FREE! Thank goodness!”

 

The firefighter turned to Hope, “You know, if she didn’t look like a grown woman, I would’ve thought that she’s five years old.”

 

“Welcome to my life.” Hope just groaned.

 

Kelley stood back up and grinned, “Well, at least we know that car seat is definitely not suit for Bailey!”

 

 

“Or you might’ve just screwed up in building it.” Hope pointed out.

 

“It’s a stupid design.”

 

“I told you not to buy the complicated car seat!”

 

“Hey, if I never got stuck, we wouldn’t have known how unfit it is for a toddler.”

 

“You’re an adult, Kelley, must I have to remind you every day?” Hope said in exasperation.

 

“Honestly, I’m just going to own this and say that I’m quite glad I got stuck in that horrid thing…” Kelley admitted.

 

The firefighter chuckled at the pair who appeared to be in their own little world before him and added,

 

“Well, like they say…safety first!”


	6. Fowl Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little mishap in the coop.

“It’s so quiet without the girls.”

 

Kelley nodded, “I know, right? I wonder how Ashlyn and Ali are doing though…”

 

“Hey, they were the ones who offered to take them to Pike Place for the morning.” Hope pointed out before adding, “I’m sure they’re having a good time.”

 

Kelley turned her attention back to her littlest one, cooing, “Our lives would be so simple if we only had you, huh, buddy?”

 

Bailey just giggled in response. Hope smiled before suggesting, “Omelets sound good for breakfast?”

 

“Always.”

 

“Well good thing we have fresh eggs every morning!”

 

Kelley groaned, “I knew you were going to say that.”

 

“Well it’s true! Do you want to help me get the eggs out back?”

 

“Not particularly…that’s not my division.”

 

“Honestly, Kell, what do you have against my chickens?” Hope crossed her arms, slightly offended.

 

“I get bad vibes from them. French Fry is the loudest clucker I know, Penny pecks at me, and Cruella is just plain evil!” Kelley reasoned.

 

“Well that’s because they know you’re scared.”

 

“I have legit reasons to be terrified of those creatures! They’re out to get me, I know it.”

 

Hope snorted as she headed towards their back door, “Come on. And bring Bailey- he appreciates my little darlings.”

 

Kelley rolled her eyes as she picked up Bailey and joined Hope out back. As Hope entered the coop, the chickens waddles straight towards her. She bent down, giving attention to each of them. Bailey was absolutely mesmerized by the small animals. He bounced and squealed with delight in Kelley’s arms.

 

Kelley could barely hold onto her son and just chuckled, “You really like Mommy’s chickens, don’t you?”

 

“Chicken!” Bailey clapped his hands together, bouncing up and down.

 

Hope smiled, “That’s my boy. Kell, why don’t you set him down in the coop?”

 

“No way.”

 

“Oh come on. He’ll be fine. I’m right here!”

 

Kelley scrunched up her face in protest before giving in and setting Bailey gently into the coop. Hope gently guided him towards the three chickens, allowing him to pet them softly. Bailey let out another shriek of excitement, and Kelley found herself laughing at his enthusiasm. Bailey continued to roam around the coop as Hope collected eggs. Everything was going just fine until Bailey decided to rush over and hug one of the small birds out of pure joy. A loud squeal was heard and an unusual noise escaped from the chicken, causing a whirlwind of feathers and chaos. Hope whipped herself around as fast as possible and Kelley jumped over the fence in a heartbeat.

 

_“Bailey!”_

_“Penny!”_

Kelley knelt down next to her son, who had been so startled by both the chicken’s reactions as well as her own. Bailey started to cry, clutching his arm. Kelley carefully examined his little arm, finding a rather deep cut. It appeared that the chicken had scratched him while flying away. While Kelley examined her son, the very same chicken, visibly upset, began pecking at her feet.

 

Kelley jumped back in surprise, “Shoo! Stop it!” She tried scaring the creature away.

 

“Don’t do that!” Hope exclaimed, rushing over to save her darling little chicken.

 

Kelley focused her attention back on her son, “Shhh…I’m sorry, buddy. Hope, he has a pretty deep cut…it won’t stop bleeding.”

 

Hope didn’t seem to hear what Kelley had just said. Her focus was entirely on her upset chicken, “Oh, Penny…oh gosh, I think her leg is broken. Bailey must’ve squeezed her too hard.”

 

“Hope, did you hear me? I think Bailey needs stitches.” Kelley urged.

 

“Her leg though…” Hope just shook her head, examining the chicken’s foot as close as possible.

 

“HOPE! Pay attention! Your chicken scratched our son for God’s sake _._ ” Kelley looked at her wife incredulously.

“Poor Penny.”

 

 _“POOR PENNY?!_ YOUR CHICKEN HURT OUR TINY HUMAN.”Kelley was bewildered. “He definitely needs stitches…or some shot. Our child is going to get salmonella or something.”

 

Hope frowned, “I’m pretty sure you can only get salmonella from-”

 

Kelley interrupted, “Oh shut up, Hope. We should take Bailey to the ER. I’ll meet you at the car in five.”

 

Once finding a couple bandages to stop the bleeding from Bailey’s cut, Kelley made her way towards the garage. After waiting for ten minutes, she reached into the front seat, honking the horn. She yelled,

 

“Hope! Let’s go!”

 

“Coming, coming…” Hope suddenly appeared, carrying a small bundle in her arms.

 

Kelley, who had taken a seat in the back with Bailey, peered over Hope’s shoulder, “Oh, you’re kidding, right? What is that thing doing here?!”

 

“She needs a doctor too!” Hope replied with great concern.

 

“What?! No! Bailey is our first priority here.”

 

“Well, yes, but I thought we’d bring her along so we can stop at a vet or something on the way home. Here, hold her.” Hope held the small bundle towards Kelley.

 

“No! I am not holding your chicken!”

 

“Her name is Penny, Kell. Use her name. _Penny._ ”

 

“Jesus, Hope, who’s your child here? Bailey or _Penny_.” Kelley mockingly used the chicken’s name.

 

“Just take her, will you? Penny is the sweetest…plus, I’m driving.” Hope basically plopped the small bundle in Kelley’s lap.

 

Kelley looked down in disgust at the creature in her lap, not letting it touch any other part of her body. “I can’t believe this is happening to me right now.”

 

“Quit complaining. You’ll be fine. Oh, watch her leg though…” Hope began.

 

Kelley glared and half-shouted, “Just step on it, Hope!”

 

The three of them, well four including Penny, eventually made it to the nearest emergency room.  As they stepped out of the their way inside, Kelley raised an eyebrow at her wife,

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re not bringing Penny inside.”

 

“See? Using her name and acknowledging her as one of us isn’t so bad, now is it?” Hope smirked.

 

Kelley almost lost it, “Hope, seriously! It’s a hospital!”

 

“Well maybe they can tell me how to bandage her leg up.”

 

“ _A hospital. For humans._ ” Kelley pointed out, “Look, there’s no way they’re going to allow a chicken inside.”

 

“But Penny needs me.”

 

“Oh for crying out loud, Hope. Forget it. I’ll take Bailey in, and you can stay here with your goddamn bird. It shouldn’t take long.” Kelley held onto Bailey as she made her way into the emergency room.

 

Kelley had just signed in when she felt a sudden presence next to her. “Hope? What are you…oh my god.”

 

“Brilliant, huh?” Hope smirked.

 

 _“Are you crazy?!”_ Kelley exclaimed in a hushed whisper, guiding Hope towards the corner where no one else could see them.

 

“No, I’m smart.” Hope looked down at her “enlarged” belly.

 

“You really think that putting a chicken in your shirt is going to go unnoticed?!” Kelley felt like pulling her hair out…and everyone thought she was the immature one.

 

“It’s simple- I’m pregnant.”

 

Kelley glared, “I hate you.”

 

“I told you it was brilliant.”

 

Before Kelley could respond, a doctor walked up to them. “Bailey O’Hara-Solo?”

 

“Right here.” Kelley responded.

 

The doctor examined Bailey’s arms, “Hmmm…yeah a few stitches should do just fine.”

 

Bailey whimpered. Kelley asked, “Will it hurt?”

 

“Not too much…it’ll be quick and easy.” The doctor questioned, “So, how did he get this cut anyways?”

 

Kelley gritted through her teeth, obviously very embarrassed, “Uhm, well…we have our own chickens in the back yard- well my wife does- and uhm…well…we placed Bailey in the coop and I’m not entirely sure what happened, but a chicken seems to have scratched him.”

 

“You put your toddler in a chicken coop?”

 

Kelley was humiliated, “I mean, my wife was there…”

 

Hope chimed in, snorting, “You could say it was _fowl play_ , if you know what I mean.” She winked at the doctor.

 

While the doctor looked away for a slight second, Kelley turned to her side, full on glaring at the taller brunette. She mouthed for the second time, “I hate you.”

 

The doctor started to lead Kelley and Bailey to the examining bed when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to Kelley. “Is there uhm…a _chicken_ under that woman’s shirt?”

 

“Hm?” Kelley acted dumbfounded.

 

“I swear, I think I saw a chicken peeking out of her shirt.” The doctor squinted towards Hope, who was now strangely looking down her shirt. He raised an eyebrow, “Is that your wife?”

 

Kelley shook her head instantly, lying, “I’ve never seen that woman before in my life.”


	7. Aunty Carli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli volunteers to babysit.

Hope opened the door to a grinning Carli standing on their doorstep, holding up three kid sized jerseys with the number ten and “Lloyd” plastered on the back.

 

“I come bearing presents!”

 

Hope rolled her eyes as her best friend walked through the door. “Really? Another set?”

 

“These are vintage! I had them specially made!” Carli exclaimed, folding the small “waldo” designed jerseys and placing them back in their gift bags.

 

“You would think the kids were little Lloyds instead of O’Hara-Solos…each kid has a full drawer of Carli Lloyd paraphernalia each of them has in their rooms.”

 

“That’s the way it should be!” Carli smiled and then complimented her friend, “You look very nice, by the way. I like that shade of blue on you, and the earrings are gorgeous!”

 

“Thanks. I’ve had these earrings forever, but never a dress to match them.”

 

“What time is the wedding?”

 

“It’s at 4:00, so we should get going within the next ten minutes or so.” Hope glanced at the time.

 

Before Carli could respond, Charlie and Harper came running into the living room, a straight beeline for their favorite aunt.

 

“Aunty Carli!!!”

 

Carli struggled to pick up both girls, “Hi, girls! Goodness, both of you are getting so big now. Stop growing! You excited to spend the evening together?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Hope raised an eyebrow at her friend, “So do you have a plan for the night?”

 

Carli shrugged, “Eh, I’m playing it by ear…we can watch a movie or something.”

 

Hope smirked, “Good luck with that…they can barely sit still, you know.”

 

“Oh hey, Carli! I didn’t know you were here already.” Kelley greeted as she made her way downstairs, holding on to Bailey and being extra careful not to trip over her long dress.

 

Even with their son in her arms, Hope was completely mesmerized by her wife. Kelley was in a long, minimalist black dress that complimented every part of her figure. Her hair perfectly framed her face and her necklace complimented the sparkle in her eyes.

 

Hope whispered to her best friend, “How did I get so lucky?”

 

Carli joked, “Well, I’d like to take credit for reminding you to get your head out of your ass and convincing you that she was the real deal.”

 

Hope muttered under breath, “Oh shut up, Carli.” She then greeted her wife who had finally made it down the stairs and stood next to her, “You look beautiful, Kell.”

 

“What can I say? I clean up nice.” Kelley flipped her hair jokingly, a blush creeping on her face- Hope still had that special effect on her even after years of marriage. “You know, you don’t look too shabby yourself.”

 

Hope smiled at her pure cuteness and leaned down to kiss her. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Kelley breathed after deepening the kiss for the moment.

 

“Uhm, hello. I’m right here.” Carli cleared her throat.

 

Hope held Kelley close and looked at her friend, “Please, you’ve seen worse.”

 

Carli scrunched up her face in disgust, “Ugh, don’t remind me. I don’t think the image of you two straddling each other in the team van will ever get out of my mind.”

 

“Not our fault someone lost their headphones and came back for them at eleven at night!” Kelley pointed out.

 

“Oh, whatever. Alright before you go though, is there anything I need to know for the night?” Carli asked.

 

“Oh follow me.” Hope motioned them into the kitchen and opened the fridge, “There’s leftover spaghetti in the fridge. Charlie likes red sauce, but Harper prefers only cheese. Bailey doesn’t have a preference, but make sure he takes his meds.”

 

“Right, okay.”

 

“Also, make sure to give him a bath before bed. Charlie and Harper already took one.” Kelley noted. “Oh and there are extra diapers in the laundry room if you need them. He’s pretty good about telling you when he needs to go. Mistakes happen, though.”

 

“Oh and side note, Charlie is going through this whole asking irrelevant questions phase, so she’ll probably be pretty talkative with you tonight. Go ahead and ignore her if you need to.” Hope warned.

 

Kelley added, “Oh and all the emergency contact numbers are posted right here on the fridge.”

 

Carli interrupted, “Geez, you guys! You would’ve thought I hadn’t done this before!”

 

“Okay, but the last time- well, the only time- you watched the kids, you called about an hour after we left, begging us to come home.”

 

“Psshh, I didn’t expect Bailey to get sick that night!”

 

“You were panicking because you had to change his diaper more than once.”

 

“Okay, in my defense, I didn’t know that a tiny human could poop that much…I thought something was wrong!” Carli argued.

 

Kelley furrowed her brow, “You nearly gave us a heart attack! Who calls a child’s parents and tells them, and I quote, ‘your kids’ insides are coming out’?!”

 

Carli sighed, “Alright, fine, I admit that I could’ve been a bit more tactful with my wording.”

 

Hope looked helplessly at her friend, “Are you sure you’re up for this, Carli?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Really, we can call Pinoe…” Hope offered.

 

“Hey! I take great offense to that! I can’t believe you would trust Pinoe over me.”

 

“Pinoe’s great with kids…she’s basically taken care of every other child of our team.” Hope said truthfully.

 

Carli rolled her eyes, “This is a chance to redeem myself for the first babysitting gig. You know, they don’t call me Carli Gosh Dang Lloyd for nothing!”

 

“More like Carli Gosh I don’t do kids Lloyd.” Kelley murmured.

 

“Look who’s talking! You’re a child yourself!”

 

“Am not!”

 

Hope placed her hands on her wife’s shoulders, “Alright, and that’s our cue to get going…Carli, call us if you have any issues. And try to last more than an hour this time, okay?”

 

“Ha, very funny.”

 

Hope and Kelley quickly said their goodbyes to their girls. As Kelley passed Bailey to Carli, he started to panic, making an unsettling face.

 

Carli tried bouncing him, “Aww, it’s okay, buddy. They’ll be home soon. Aunty Carli is here…”

 

“I’m sure that’s real comforting for him to hear.” Kelley couldn’t help but tease her former teammate.

 

Carli sent a glare their way, causing Hope to practically shove Kelley out the door, “Bye! Have fun!”

 

As soon as the door shut, Bailey began to shriek and Carli just groaned, “Not again…”

 

-

 

Their friend’s wedding had just finished and the reception had just gotten underway. They were having a wonderful time, but Hope noticed Kelley was a little distant. She seemed preoccupied with something.

 

“Will you just sit still? Stop playing with your napkin and put it down. I can feel your anxiety from over here.” Hope scolded in a whisper.

 

Kelley sighed, listening to her wife, “I’m sorry.”

 

“Kell, I’m sure they’re doing fine.” Hope offered some comforting words.

 

“I know…I just don’t like leaving them.”

 

“Neither do I, but to be honest, I’m more worried about Carli.” Hope admitted.

 

“Do you think we should call Pinoe and ask her to go check on them?”

 

“Carli would kill us.”

 

“Well, it’s not a terrible idea.”

 

Hope smiled and squeezed Kelley’s hand in reassurance, “Here, let’s put it this way- we’ve already passed the hour mark, so we’re doing much better than last time.”

 

“True.” Kelley smiled, holding on to Hope’s hand.

 

Hope suggested, “Let’s just enjoy tonight- especially the time alone. Since when have we gone to an event like this? Just the two of us?”

 

“Tonight’s been lovely, hasn’t it? I love weddings.” Kelley sighed, totally a hopeless romantic.

 

Hope agreed, “Me too…have I told you lately how much I love you?”

 

“You couldn’t say it enough even if you tried.” Kelley smirked.

 

Hope leaned in for one more kiss and softly whispered, “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Hope stood up, offering her hand to Kelley who gladly accepted it. “Now come on, let’s go see what the bar has…maybe a drink or two will help take the edge off.”

 

-

 

Carli huffed as water splashed in her face once again. She sighed, giving up on trying to stay dry while giving Bailey a bath. By the way he squirmed at her touch, he was definitely not having any of it. Charlie watched from her place on the counter while Harper colored contently in the corner.

 

“Aunty Carli, watch me color!” Harper begged.

 

“Oh, wow, that’s so cool!” Carli pretended to pay attention as she fiddled with the shampoo container. She then sternly instructed, “Bailey, sit still.”

 

Charlie chimed in, “Aunty Carli, why do we have to take baths before bed?”

 

“Because your mommies say so.”

 

“But why?”

 

“So that you’re clean.”

 

“But why do we have to be clean?”

 

“Because otherwise you’d be stinky.”

 

“Look at my coloring!” Harper had wandered over and tugged on Carli, who ignored her now that Bailey had stated to cry.

 

Carli sighed loudly and looked desperately at the little girl seated atop the counter, “Charlie, is your brother always this feisty during bath time?”

 

“No.”

 

“No?”

 

“He likes baths.”

 

“Well apparently not tonight.”

 

“That’s because he doesn’t like you.” Charlie flat out responded.

 

Carli took offense, “What do you mean he doesn’t like me? I’m your favorite aunt!”

 

Charlie corrected the older woman, “You’re me and Harper’s favorite auntie…not Bailey’s. He likes Aunty Pinoe!”

 

“Everyone likes Aunty Pinoe.” Carli mumbled under breath. She took Bailey out of the tub, dried him, and calmed him down enough to start dressing him.

 

While she did so, Harper ran over, “Aunty Carli! Read book?!”

 

“Okay, go pick one out. Let me get your brother to bed first.” Carli ordered.

 

Charlie had followed her into the nursery and proceeded to ask, “Aunty Carli, why do you like soccer so much?”

 

“I like soccer because it makes me very happy. It makes me want to push myself and it shows me what it means to believe in myself and chase my dreams. Without soccer, I wouldn’t be where I am today- nor would I have met so many wonderful people, like my coach or your moms.” Carli realized her answer was probably a bit much for the little girl, but hey, at least it was a question she could answer.

 

Charlie nodded in silence as she watched Carli prepare Bailey for bed. Then out of the blue, she blurted out, “Aunty Carli, do you think I’m going to get another baby brother or sister?”

 

Carli briefly stopped what she was doing and looked down at her goddaughter. She raised an eyebrow, thinking that the little might know something she didn’t, “What makes you think that?”

 

But Charlie shrugged, “Nothing…I want one though.”

 

“Well, I think your mommies are very happy with the three of you.”

 

Harper had returned, rather impatient. “Come on! Read! Read! Read!”

 

“One second, Harper…” Carli gently placed Bailey in his crib, but as soon as she did so, he immediately began to cry. “Seriously, kid?!”

 

“Where do babies come from?”

 

Carli froze at the little girl’s familiar voice. She bounced Bailey up and down, “Uhm, what did you say, Charlie?”

 

“Babies. Where do they come from?”

 

Carli cursed silently- these questions had just gotten to a whole new level. “Well, when two people love each other a lot, they can make a baby.”

 

“Like my mama and mommy?”

 

“Well, I mean theoretically no, but…” Carli stopped herself as soon as she realized she was way over the little girl’s head. “Uh, never mind. Babies just come from mommies. That’s all.” She prayed that was a god enough answer- but she was wrong.

 

Charlie smartly replied, “I know that, silly! Bailey lived in Mommy’s tummy…but how did he get there?”

 

Carli contemplated the thought for a second and was actually now confused herself. She didn’t know the scientific details to that, and neither was she too concerned about it at the moment since Bailey was kicking up quite the fuss. Suddenly, she had an idea.

 

“Okay, well it’s sort of like soccer.”

 

 

“Soccer?”

 

Carli actually had no clue where she was going with her thought, but she decided to roll with it anyways. “Yeah, so you know how your mommy’s job is to keep soccer balls from going in the net?”

 

Charlie nodded, so Carli just continued, “So think of the net as a _very_ special place. Everyone wants to get a soccer ball in the net, right? But your Mommy is really selective.”

 

“Sective?” Charlie couldn’t even begin to pronounce the complicated word correctly.

 

“She gets to choose what goes in and out of the net…mostly balls, of course.” Carli frowned at her own phrasing, but shrugged it off, “Okay, so then your mama’s job is to kick balls into the net, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So if your mama does a good job kicking the ball into the net, it gets past your mommy, you follow?”

 

“Yup!”

 

“And when a soccer ball gets into the net, what do we call that?”

 

“A goal!” Charlie laughed as she put her hands up.

 

“Exactly! The goal is the baby!”

 

Charlie furrowed her brow, losing Carli’s train of thought. “…so a baby means you scored?”

 

Instead of responding, Carli became distracted by Bailey’s whining and Harper, who also just started to cry since no one was paying much attention to her. She brushed off Charlie, “Uh, yeah…yeah.”

 

“But…”

 

“Charlie, sweetie, I need to get your siblings to bed. I’ll answer your questions later.”

 

-

 

“Ready to go home?”

 

“Yes, I’m exhausted!” Kelley laughed before joining hands with Hope.

 

As they walked back to the car, Kelley felt herself lean onto Hope’s shoulder. Hope loved how perfect of a fit she was, “Thank you for tonight.”

 

“No, thank you for convincing me to stay.”

 

“Wow, never thought I’d hear you say those words…you’re usually the one begging me to stay out late.” Hope thought back on all their memories together, especially when they were on the team together.

 

“Ugh, kids make you so old.”

 

Hope chuckled softly, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She placed a kiss on Kelley’s forehead, not being able to keep her hands off of her all night.

 

Kelley could feel the sexual tension rubbing off of Hope. She snorted, “Not tonight, babe.”

 

“Kell, you’re killing me with the dress.”

 

“Come on, I’m tired and I just want to get home to the kids.”

 

Hope frowned, “Gosh, you are right. Kids do make you old…you’re no fun.”

 

Kelley tilted her head, “What did you say?”

 

“You’re no fun.” Hope repeated, egging her wife on.

 

Kelley’s jaw dropped, “Take that back! I’ll show you what fun means- that’s my middle name!”

 

Hope smiled, “That’s what I thought…” Before she knew it, Kelley’s lips were crashing against her own.

 

-

 

Hope fiddled with the doorknob before quietly opening it. She whispered, “I can’t believe we didn’t have from Carli all night…I guess all went well then.”

 

“I’m surprised she pulled it off.” Kelley said as she took off her shoes.

 

Hope looked around before deciding, “I think they’re upstairs…I’ll go find them.”

 

As Hope disappeared up the stairs, Kelley was slightly startled by a small figure emerging from the kitchen.

 

“Charlie! What are you doing still up?”

 

“I was thirsty.” Charlie looked down at the chocolate milk carton in her hands.

 

“Oh…okay.” Kelley asked, “Did you have a good evening?”

 

“Mhmm…” Charlie took a sip of her milk before wandering over to her mother. She looked up, “Mama, what does it feel like when you score on Mommy?”

 

“Like in soccer?” Kelley was surprised by her question.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Kelley chuckled, “Well, I feel pretty good…but your Mommy doesn’t really like it when I score on her.”

 

“Why not? Why would Mommy be mad? She should be happy.”

 

“Uh, why is that? Remember, Mommy’s job is to protect the net.” Kelley was slightly confused.

 

“Yeah, but when you score, it means you’re going to have a baby.” Charlie responded innocently.

 

“Wait, _what_?”

 

Before Charlie could respond, Hope was heard calling Kelley.

 

“Kell! Get up here! You have to see this.”

 

Hope had found Carli sleeping upright, cramped in the crib with Bailey and Harper who were also fast asleep. Kelley couldn’t help but snort once she saw the sight.

 

“I’m surprised that crib hasn’t broken yet.” Hope laughed.

 

Hope’s laugh echoed through the room, startling Carli awake. She blinked a few times before recognizing them, “Oh hey guys…welcome home!” Carli had seemed to have forgotten where she was since her voice was a tad bit louder than it should’ve been, thus waking up Bailey. She groaned.

 

“Damn it.”

 

“Language, Carli.” Hope scolded.

 

As Carli tried to get herself out of the crib, Kelley turned her attention back to her little girl, “Charlie, sweetie, tell Mommy what you just told me downstairs…about the goals and what not.”

 

Looking up at Hope, Charlie asked, “When Mama scores a goal on you, it means you’re going to have a baby, right?”

 

“Wait, _what?_ ” Hope was now also very confused.

 

Kelley exclaimed, “That’s what I said!”

 

Eavesdropping, Carli froze suddenly. She locked eyes with her goddaughter and begged her to stop talking.

 

“Sweetie, who said that?”

 

Charlie shrugged and pointed towards the professional soccer player who was still trying to get herself out of the crib.

 

“Aunty Carli said so.”

 

Now both Hope and Kelley sent everything from looks of confusion to glares towards their friend.

 

And Carli groaned for the hundredth time that evening.  


	8. Flu Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley refuses to get her flu shot.

Crying was heard from a bedroom just a few doors down.

 

Kelley rolled over and noticing the time, she groaned, “2 AM? Seriously? I just checked on him two hours ago.”

 

Hearing her wife’s half-asleep voice, Hope rolled over and snuggled into the younger woman, “I’ll go check on him.”

 

“Really?” Kelley yawned. 

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Hope whispered and kissed her wife on her cheek before getting up.

 

The following morning, Kelley woke up to an empty bed. She frowned and made her way down the hallway, stopping at Bailey’s room only to find both Hope and their son sleeping soundly in a rocking chair. It looked like Hope never returned to their bed that night and she instantly felt bad that she wasn’t much help.

 

Kelley gently shook her wife’s shoulder, “Hope…”

 

Hope’s eyes fluttered open and immediately put a finger to her mouth to silence her as she got up to gently place Bailey back in his crib.

 

The two adults exited the room and Kelley asked “Were you up all night with him?”

 

Hope nodded, “Yeah, I think he’s caught the bug from Charlie. He was a little warm, so I checked his temperature and he has a low grade fever. I gave him some cold medicine and he fell asleep about an hour ago. He’ll be pretty exhausted today.”

 

Kelley sighed, “I’m sorry, you should’ve come and got me.”

 

Hope shook her head, “No, really, it’s alright.”

 

Kelley suggested, “Why don’t you get a few extra hours of sleep and I’ll take care of the girls for the rest of the morning, okay?”

 

Hope agreed before going back to their bedroom. Charlie had the flu, so Kelley gave her some more medicine before letting her sleep it off. She then took Harper to run some errands before returning home, finding Hope making coffee in the kitchen.

 

“Hey. You sleep okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m still pretty tired though.” Hope said as she took a sip of her coffee. She commented, “Kell, have you gotten your flu shot yet?”

 

Kelley looked away and mumbled, “No…”

 

“I thought you said you were going to get it this week.” Hope raised an eyebrow.

 

“You know I’m not a fan of shots.”

 

“Seriously? You’re gotten injured worse in soccer…what’s a little flu shot to you?”

 

Kelley shuddered just thinking about it, “It’s the needles! I don’t like them.”

 

Hope reasoned, “Well, you should get on that as quick as possible...two of the kids have the flu now, so there’s a chance you could get sick too.”

 

Kelley scoffed, “For all we know the flu shot doesn’t even work…Charlie and Bailey both got sick anyways.”

 

“Yeah, well Harper and I aren’t sick either and we both got our flu shots. So far you have a 50/50 chance of getting sick.”

 

Kelley frowned, “I’ll take my chances. I’m going to avoid needles as often as I can.”

 

“Kelley…”

 

“Do you not remember the last time I was around needles?”

 

“Well, yeah, you passed out…”

 

“My sentiments exactly.”

 

“Kell, you were dehydrated too.”

 

“End of discussion, Hope…I’m not getting the flu shot this year.”

 

Hope sighed and returned to her cup of coffee, “Alright, suit yourself…”

 

Later that week, Kelley came home to a quiet household. She checked the kids, who were all taking a nap- what a miracle, she thought to herself. She then found Hope curled up on the couch, also asleep. She sat down next to her wife.

 

“Hey, you alright.”

 

Hope had slowly woken herself up. “Ugh, I think I’m sick.”

 

Kelley snorted, “See? And you swore by the flu shot.”

 

Hope groaned into her pillow, “Not now, Kelley.”

 

Kelley sighed, hating how miserable Hope looked. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to get you anything? Have you taken some meds yet?”

 

Hope coughed and she moaned, “I have, but it’s not helping. My head’s been pounding all day.”

 

Kelley rubbed circles on her back in hopes to make her feel better. “Well, just get some rest…I’ll take care of the kiddos.”

 

By the end of the day, Kelley was exhausted. Charlie was just getting over her cold and Bailey’s fever had only worsened. The main problem was lack of sleep for everyone, so the kids were more cranky and whiny than usual. Finally getting into bed with Hope, she sighed in exhaustion.

 

“Goodness, what a day.”

 

Hope grumbled, “Tell me about it.”

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“Worse.” Hope muttered, “I think I’m actually more upset with the fact that you aren’t sick.”

 

Kelley grinned, “Aw, babe, don’t be…I’m always right, you know that.”

 

Hope rolled her eyes, “I’m not dealing with you anymore.” She turned her back to Kelley, closing her eyes in attempts to wish the pain away.

 

Kelley snuggled closer and wrapped her arms around the older woman, “You’re so cranky.”

 

“I can’t get rid of this fever and every time I stand up, I feel like throwing up. So I don’t care what you say, but I am not a happy camper right now.”

 

Kelley buried herself into the keeper’s neck, “I still love you.”

 

“Well, I sure hope so.” Hope couldn’t get another word in as her body shook with a coughing fit. She murmured, “Hey, don’t get so close to me or else you’ll get sick too.”

 

“I’m fine!” Kelley rolled her eyes as she placed a small kiss on the side of Hope’s head. “I can’t sleep without cuddling first.”

 

Hope sighed, not having the energy to respond, but with Kelley’s arms wrapped around her, she couldn’t help but already feel better. She breathed in her scent and allowed herself to succumb to sleep.

 

The next morning, Hope was surprisingly feeling alright. It looked like the fever had broken, and in fact, the kids too were on the road to recovery. She gathered them all together to make pancakes for breakfast. Kelley trudged in to the kitchen just moments later.

 

“Morning!”

 

“Morning…” Kelley croaked.

 

Hope raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, “Did you voice just crack?”

 

“No.” Kelley mumbled before coughing into her arm.

 

Hope couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “You’re sick aren’t you?”

 

 _“No_.” A hint of defiance clearly in her voice.

 

“Told you so.”

 


End file.
